“I have not seen anyone resemble the Messenger of Allah in the style, attitude and way of their standing and sitting than Fātimah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam.”

She added, “When she would enter upon the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) he used to stand up for her, kiss her and seat her in his place; and when the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) used to visit her, she would stand up for him, kiss him, and seat him in her place”.

This hadīth is narrated by Imām Ahmed, Abu Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhi.

The following benefits can be taken from this narration:

1. The importance of raising children with love.

2. The importance of raising children with respect.

3. The importance of raising them with care and consideration.

4. If the parents expect good treatment from their children they should show them good treatment.

5. The fact that progeny imitate their parents, which shows the importance of observing the attitude of a woman’s father if one is considering her for marriage.

6. The permissibility of standing up for the visitor.

7. The permissibility of standing up for a youngster.

8. The permissibility of standing up for others even if this is done repeatedly.

9. The permissibility of kissing one’s mahram whether male or female.

10. The permissibility of kissing one another upon greeting without a pre-condition

of one being a traveller (or returning from travel).

11. The importance of visiting your parents and looking out for their needs.

12. The importance of visiting your children and looking out for their needs.

13. That repetitive visits should occur even if the father is a great and important man.

14. The excellence of favouring your parents over yourself.

15. The excellence of favouring children over yourself.

16. The general excellence of favouring the visitor over yourself and giving your seat to the visitor.

17. The virtues of Fātimah – may Allāh be pleased with her – and her great importance in her father’s eyes sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam.

18. It might be deduced that it is permissible to visit the place of your mahram without prior permission, because if the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) had sought permission, Fātimah would have received him at the door. And Allāh knows best.

19. The intelligence of ‘Ā’ishah (radhy Allāhu ‘anhā) and her thoughtful observations.

20. The good relationship between ‘Ā’ishah and Fātimah (may Allāh be pleased with both) and the narrating by ‘Ā’ishah of Fātimah’s great virtues.

21. The fact of visiting the father in his second wife’s home repeatedly.

22. The great and blessed knowledge that has reached us from ‘Ā’ishah (radhy Allāhu ‘anhā).

23. The family of the Prophet is unified and undividable, and not as some evil people try to suggest when they criticize the wives of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam).

24. The eloquence of ‘Ā’ishah and how she used three terms very close to each other in one sentence: style (samtan), attitude (dallan), and way (hadyan). It seems that the first refers to the look, the second to the way of dealing with people and the third to the general way of life including the relationship between a person and their Creator.

25. That one should honour and respect women, not like some people who look down at them.

26. Accepting the narration and testimony of one woman.

27. The woman can visit her family and neighbours regularly, not as some extremists would like to think otherwise.

28. Appreciating that women give beneficial knowledge regularly.

29. This hadīth as well as others refute the enemies of Islām who claim that our religion does not respect women.

30. The permissibility of looking at the opposite sex without any evil desire (‘Ā’ishah said, “I have not seen anyone resemble…”).

31. The importance of actions and not just statements in the upbringing of our children.

32. The importance of setting a good example to be followed.

33. The greatness of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) that even with all his responsibilities, his da‘wah, his jihād, his worship, and his public engagements, yet he still paid full attention to his family.

Praise then be to He who created this great Prophet, then sent him as a witness, a bringer of glad tidings and as a warner, raising humanity out of the darkness they were languishing in.

O Allāh, make us from those who follow this most noble unlettered Prophet who was prophesised in the Torah and Bible; the one who enjoins us to all good and forbids all evil; the one who is praised in the beginning and in the end, Sayyidinā Muhammad,sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam! Amīn!